Friday, September 20, 2024
Solomon made an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. Solomon brought her to the city of David until he finished building his palace, the Lord’s temple, and the wall surrounding Jerusalem. However, the people were sacrificing on the high places, because until that time a temple for the Lord’s name had not been built. Solomon loved the Lord by walking in the statutes of his father David, but he also sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 1Kings 3:1-3
High Places
Solomon is known for his wisdom, but Solomon also had some trouble with misplaced affections. In the Old Testament, there were certain areas called high places that were like platforms or an area that was built up higher with altars where they worshiped false gods. Some were used to worship the one true God, but more of them were for false gods. They were called high places because it was a contest of sorts. The god that was “highest” or on the highest mountain, was considered better than the others below it. They were elevated places where sacrifices to idols were made.
Solomon made some mistakes that resulted in misplaced affections. He married foreign wives, which he was not supposed to do. And when he did that, they brought their pagan gods and idols and Solomon built high places for them to worship their gods, and he worshiped with them as the verse above tells us. He allowed his heart to be led astray. He had the opportunity to tear down the high places and lead the people back to God, but he chose not to. Instead, he idolized the affections of his wives and the people more than the affections of God. His wives convinced him that he needed to build more high places and not tear any of them down. This became a big problem for Solomon, that eventually caused his downfall.
Like Solomon, we make high places in our lives where we elevate people or things above God, resulting in misplaced affections. It could be anything - even family or teaching a bible study. If it becomes more important than God, it is an idol, and God is knocked off the place only He deserves – on the throne of our hearts and lives. There are no holes in our lives that are meant to be filled by idols. We have to move something out of the way to make room for these idols in our lives meaning that we have to displace something that is supposed to be there - God. Our misplaced affections knock God out of the way and draw us further and further away from Him.
Idols take our focus and affection away from God. What high places have you constructed in your life? What are you giving your affections to besides God? God deserves our highest affections and only He belongs in the first place in our lives. Tear down the high places and give God back the place He deserves.
